"Coregasms" can happen during a number of types of exercise, including crunches,spinning, chin-ups, yoga, running, flexed arm hang exercises, and more.

Question: I’ve been seeing stuff all over the internet about “coregasms.” How do these happen? Do both women and men experience them?

That’s my research!

Together with a colleague, we conducted a study on what we call exercise-induced orgasms and exercise-induced sexual pleasure.

(Exercise-induced sexual pleasure is when individuals feel aroused or excited during exercise and may even come close to experiencing orgasm, but don’t actually have one.)

This can happen during a number of types of exercise, including crunches, Captain’s chair abdominal exercises, biking, spinning, pull-ups, chin-ups, yoga, running, flexed arm hang exercises, and more.

Though our initial study was focused on women’s experiences of orgasms and sexual pleasure during exercise, we’ve heard from a number of men who describe having experienced it themselves (often while climbing or doing pull-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups or other core abdominal exercises).

We don’t fully understand how it happens yet, but we’re working on it!

Next Question: The Role And Importance Of Sex In Healthy Relationships

I am having a relationship problem, and I believe that one of the reasons is because my partner and I are not having sex. I am gay, and I would like to have intercourse with him. He is not opposed to the idea but he is not able to have sex (he is too tight). I am curious about what you can tell me about the importance of sex to a healthy relationship, and possibly how being gay or male may be related to this. Thank you for your help.

Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH is a professor in the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion (School of Public Health), and a research fellow at The Kinsey Institute. She has been writing the Kinsey Confidential Q&A since 2003. Additionally, Dr. Herbenick is an AASECT-certified sexuality educator and current president (2016-present) of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. She is the author of several books about sex and love.